Mr. Beanz

Fire just started about 6pm, Santiago Cyn and 241 toll road! Over 100 acres smoked according to tv news!

SipperPhoto

yep... I can see flames from my place in Orange.

Gretzky

We just returned from packing my Mother in laws house.

SipperPhoto

ack.. where is she at?

cjbruin

That blows. I just had a great ride through there yesterday. Three fires (Santiago, Malibu, Canyon Country), they all are probably arson, right? So lame.

SipperPhoto

I believe Cyn Country, and possibly Irvine were caused by downed power lines. Irvine is still not 100% known, but that seems to be the consensus on TV.

Jeff

WanTing

Irvine - Northwood area

chimivee

View from my parents' backyard.

bmclaughlin807

Meh... I know how horrible it is to be threatened by wildfires... my hometown in Arizona was evacuated for almost 2 weeks a few years ago... They finally stopped the fire at the last possible point they could have stopped it before it destroyed pretty much ALL of the local towns... it was very a very close thing. I have a few pics somewhere similar to what you're posting here, Chimvee... it's a scary sight, indeed.

As it was, the fires destroyed over 400 houses.

Hope they get those under control fast.

Pamestique 

It seems like each year I have to report to friends about a bad wildfire. Last year was Windy Ridge and the year before that Sierra Peak. What makes Santiago Canyon the worse is the fact within the last 3 years the area has sustained bad wildfires. The ecology is so fragile, especially now, and the last refuge for wildlife and flora has now been destroyed.

As a Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer I have been fortunate enough to spend alot of time riding and hiking in the Limestone area. If you have never been in the area, you have been missing one of the jewels of Orange County. It's a haven especailly now that Weir and Fremont Canyon have burned, for deer, bobcats, foxes, and mountain lions. Strange just last night The Conservancy had a party. It was suppose to be held at the Augustine Staging Area off Santiago Canyon at Hick's Haul Rd. Because of the wind and the fire danger, it was moved inside to the Ranch offices in Irvine. We were looking at photos from the camera traps of a mother mountain lion and her cub when someone came in and annouced Limestone was on fire. The party came to a standstill. Our worse fear was realized. Everyone left with tears in their eyes.

As I stood out near my home and watched the orange glow and then flames come over the hills, many cars drove by and people were looky looing. A man got out of his car, came over, tried to light a cirgarette, went back to his car, lit it and came back and stood next to me. I have to admit I was rude. I could not believe how stupid this man was to lit a cirgarette in high winds to stand near brush, smoking, watching a fire. Sadly I could not shame him. I had to leave because I had became so angry I was shaking.

Anyway Limestone is totally burned. That wouldn't be a bad thing on its own as fire is needed occassionally but its bad because so much has burned previously. Who knows we may never see mountain lion in our area again. That's it for me, I am on a militant rant against cirgarette smoking. Of course I have no idea what started this fire, it could have been arson or down power lines, but we do know cirgarette starts fires so one last cirgarette around the better.

So sad... :-(

merider1

Gosh, James, I hope the fire gets no closer.

thomson

Wow, James, good luck there.

They just announced this fire was arson.

LCI_Brian

I live in the area, but I was out of town this weekend, so haven't seen the fire closeup. I think I'll stay out of town on just telecommute the next couple of days.

Mr. Beanz

Hard to believe someone can be so stupid, isn't it?

CyLowe97

Wow. That's frightening.

When to the mudslides begin? And the quakes?

That stuff seems to happen with some regularity in California, no? Is it something you learn to live with, like we do with tornadoes in the flatlands?

mateo44

Winds really kicking up now in Irvine. Woke up to dark, smoky skies. They cleared up for a few hours until about 15 minutes ago. Dark again.

Stay safe, everyone.

merider1

Stupid? I'd say out right evil!

merider1

Yes, other than the asses who are evil/vicious enough to actually start the fires out here, some fires are natural and part of nature regenerating. We do have to learn to live with them although they can certainly devastate some people when they lose their homes and in some instances, more tragically, their pets or lives! Quakes are pretty rare (big ones anyway) and are just something we have to be prepared for.

I'd still say Tornadoes are worse than what we have to deal with here. Tornadoes can strike so quickly and are so erratic and unpredictable. You can have a shelter built that could save you and your family, but then be out driving when one strikes and be killed when your car is blown over. I'd choose an earthquake over a tornado any day! Of course, I grew up in tornado country myself and have bad memories or them going over our neighborhood. My parents had their house hit (and got a new roof put on by insurance as a result) when the last string of tornadoes went through Clarksville about two years ago.

Six jours

There's a hill up behind my house where everyone goes whenever there's something to look at. Usually it's 4th of July; this time it's fire. The hill is covered in the same kind of low brush and small trees that are burning right now. Incredibly dry, and ready to go. The neighborhood isn't really in any danger from the current fire, which is a couple of miles away, but if that hill catches we're in for some serious excitement. Which makes all the morons standing around in the brush with cigarettes while watching a brushfire even harder to understand.

I don't have anything against smoking, but I sure wish we could criminalize stupidity.

spingineer

I was just catching up on this thread .. so this was arson??? Damn ... it is evil. And what about the San Diego fire?

Pamestique 

There are a number of major fires burning... several in LA, this one in Orange County, 2 in San Bernardino and the 2 in San Diego. From what I know only the OC fire is arson set.

What is so weird is I attended a meeting n Monday (just this past Monday) and we discussed the fact that during the next big wind, there would no doubt be an arson attempt on Limestone Canyon. It's the last major canyon in North OC not to have burned. Even knowing there would be an arson attempt we could not stop it. I had several friends who earlier in the day where out at Silverado and Blackstar where the fire started. They didn't see anything unusual but I'm assuming the arsonist knew to wait until the crowd left and went home. The fire started just before 5pm. There are many reasons a person sets a fire. Regardless, its all just sick.

Right now Whiting Ranch and Foothill Ranch are in jeopardy. Let's pray those courageous fire fighters beath this fire down!

Mr. Beanz

Sucks! I saw on the news earlier Arrowhead was on fire too. Several homes already quickly engulfed. No airsupport cause of the winds. Hope they got to it! Could mean BigBear is near.

Crash716

There are actually 8 major fires burning in san diego county right now..

Pamestique 

Do you know where the SD fires all are? A business associated of mine just came back and stated basically all of SD is shut down right now. I had been focused on the OC fire. I pray you SD folks (and LA and SB as well) are all OK. I have quite a few friends down there.

jschen

SD fires are all over, creeping in from the east. Yes, SD is basically doing nothing today other than watching news and evacuating neighborhoods in the path of the fires.